Multicolor printing press



Feb. 23 ,1926. 1,574,708

I R. J. SMOTHERS I I MUPTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS Filed April 2, 1924 4Sheets-Sheet i Y INVEN i OR. 11 A1- 3 mojha m ATTORNEY.

Feb. 23 26.

R. J. SMOTHERS MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS Filed April 2, 192 4Sheets-Sheet 2 .INVENTOR.

mofhars ATTORNEY.

R. J. SMOTHERS MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS Feb. 23 1926.

Filed April 2, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY.

Feb. 23 ,1'926.

R. J. SMOTHERS MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS 5 Filed April 2, 1924 ||||||Illllll'lll W i g k 1 am 5 5 Q3 2 Q W7 N \o I g INVENTOR.

\ 1L1 Smomefs,

I ATTORIYAEY,

Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT JARVIS SMOTHERS, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES T.

\ ROBINSON, 0F HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS.

Application filed April 2, 1924. Serial No. 703,776.

To all whom it may concern:

lle it known that I, ROBERT JARVIS SMIOTHERS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Holyo-ke, in the county of Hamp den and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvemen'ts inMulticolor Printing Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a multi-color printing press and has for itsobject to pro vide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a press ofsuch class, with means forprinting successively, in color, portions of adesign to complete the latter on a continuously travelling web, or forprinting a plurality of continuous designs in color on a continuousltravelling web, or for printing successively different designs, incolor, on a continuously travelling web, under such conditionsovercoming the necessity of passing the web through the press more thanonce, whereby printing in color is vastly expedited and the cost of thesame materially reduced.

A further'object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a

press of the class referred to, including means whereby the web will bepositioned to be acted upon by a transfer roll to insure satisfactoryprinting on and during the travel of. the web. V

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a press of the class referred to, with new andnovel means for adjusting a plate or blanket roll with respect to itsassociated transfer roll and for throwing out from operative position 'aplate'or blanket roll and its associated transfer roll wit-h respect toeach other and the transfer roll withrespect to the impression cylinder,and further whereby a plurality'of plate or blanket rolls with theirassociated transfer rolls can be thrown out or adjusted synchronously.

Further objects of the invention areto provide, in a manneras-hereinafter set forth,

a multi-color printing press, which is comparatively simple in itsconstruction and ar-' rangement, strong, durable, thoroughly ellicientand convenient in its use, readily assembled, and comparativelyinexpensive to set up.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter more specifically de- 65 scribed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications.can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views Figure-1 is a side elevation of amulticolor printing press, in accordance with this invention. 5

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic vie-w, partly in section, illustrating thearrangement of the plate or blanket roll, transfer roll and impressioncylinder.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the guide.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 3. F gure 5 is a section online 55, Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in transverse section, of a plate orblanket roll, and with the latter'in open position.

Figure 7 is a. sectional elevation of the adjusting mechanism for theplate or blanket rolls and their associated transfer rolls.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the web shifting andcleaning device.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the web cutter.

A multi-color printing press, in accordance with this invent-ion, isillustrated by way of example with four plate or blanket rolls and atransfer roll associated with each plate roll, but it is obvious thatthe number of plate or blanket rolls can be increased ordiminished,depending upon the number of colors to be applied to thecontinuously travelling web, and as illustratedthe press includes notonly the blanket and transfer rolls, but a web brushing and shiftingdevice, and a web \guide, as well as other cooperating elements to 'behereinafter referred to.

The blanket rolls are set up one in advance of the other and the samearrangement is had with respect to the transfer rolls, and each blanketroll would have a portion of a design thereon to receive a whencombined, set up the complete design,

and the plate rolls in connection with the transfer rolls and impressioncylinder provide for successively printing, in color, portions of thedesign on the continuously travelling web, so thatwhen the web leavesthe impression cylinder the complete design will be printed thereon, andby this arrangement it only requires the passage of the web once throughthe press. The color is applied to the plate in a known manner, and inlithography the plate is also dampened in a known manner. I

The plate rolls are indicated at 1, 2, 3 and 4. The transfer rolls areindicated at 5, 6, 7 and 8 andwhich associate respectively with therolls 1, 2, 3 and 4. The inking mechanism for each of the plate rolls isindicated at 9. The dampening means for each of'the plate rolls isindi-v drive gear connections with the impression cylinder. 11.

- operating shaft of the impression cylinder is indicated at 14 and isdriven from any suitable source. Each of the plate or blanket rolls isconstructed in a manner set forth in my co-pending application, SerialNumber 703,775, filed April 2, 1924, and said roll includes a fixedsection 15, a pivoted section 16, a pair of removable sections 17, 18, aplate 19 having beveled end edges 20, 21 and with the removable sections17 and 18 fixedly secured to the inner face of the plate 19 at each endthereof. The removable sections 17 and 18 are beveled, as at 22, andwhich form a continuation of thebeveled ends 20, 21 of the plate 19, andthe roll further includes a clamping element 23 which. abuts againsttheenlargement 24 on the section 16 for maintaining the latter in position,forming a continuation of the section 15 and the sections 17 and 18, Thebeveling of the ends of the The housing 13 is formed with a series ofradially extendingarms 14 at.

plates 19 provides feathered edges, and the said bevelled ends abutthroughout when the plate 19 is secured in position to the body of theroll, as shown in Figure 2, whereby the plate will be maintained in truecylinder form with no gap between the opposed end edges thereof and thisinsures satisfactory printing.

The shaft of each blanket roll as indicated at 25, see Figure 7, and theshafts of the transfer rolls at 26. The gear drive connections between ablanket roll and its associated transfer roll is indicated at 27, 28,Figure 7. The gear drive connection between the transfer roll and theimpression cylinder 11 is indicated at 28 and 29 in Figure 7. The shaft25 is journalled at each end in a bearing element 30, mounted in an arm14. This arrangement is illustrated in Figure 7, 'at one end of a plateroll and its associated transfer roll and as the arrangement at theother end is the same, the description of one end will apply totheother. See Figure 7. .One end of the shaft 26 of a transfer roll ismounted in a bearing 31 extended through an arm 14. The bearings 30 and31 project outwardly from the arm 14, and the latter carries a pair ofmicrometer screws 32, for adjustably supporting the bearing 30. The arm14 also carries a pair of micrometer screws 33 for adjustably supportingthe bearing 31. The arm 14 has an enlarged opening 34 to provide for theadjustment of a hearing 30, and is further provided with an enlargedopening 35'to enable the adjustment of the bearing 31.

The outer end of the bearing 31 is formed with an opening 36, having athreaded wall with which threadedly engages a peripherally threadedsleeve 37, having its top formed with a hand wheel 38. The sleeve 37 isinteriorly threaded for engagement with the threaded portion 39 of anadjusting rod 40, provided intermediate its ends with a threaded portion41 which threadedly engages with the threaded wall of an opening 42formed in the outer end of the bearing 31. The threaded portion 39 is ofa greater pitch than the threaded portion 41, so that when the rod 40 isrevolved in a clockwise direction the late roll will be shifted agreater distance rom the transfer roll than the distance the transferroll is shifted from the impression c'ylinder.

. The screws 32 and 33 permit of the micrometer adjustment between theplate and transfer rolls and between the transfer rolls and theimpression cylinder.

' The housing 13 is formed with a lateral lug 43, having an opening 44through which extends" the rod 40. Carried by the lug 43 is a retainingscrew 45 engaging in a peripheral groove 46, formed in the rod 40 toprevent the lengthwise shifting of the rod 40 relative to the lug 43.

. Below the lug 43 the rod 40 isformed with an annular groove 47, andwith a lengthwise groove 48 for the purpose of keying the hub 49 of abevelled pinion 50 upon the rod 40. The hub 49 carries a latch 51engageable in the groove 47 for maintaining the pinion 50 in positionwhen it has been shifted upwardly on the rod 40.

The housing 13 has pivotally connected therewith, as at 52, a shiftingelement 53, which is connected to the hub 49 to provide for the shiftingthereof on the rod 40. The hub 49 has a peripheral groove in whichextends a lug 54, carried by the member 53, and by this arrangement,although the member 53 can shift the pinion lengthwise with respect tothe shaft 40, yet the connection between the member 53 and the hub willnot interfere with the revolving of the pinion 50 when desired, to drivethe shaft 40.

The sleeve 37 provides for the adjusting of the bearing 30 independentlyof the adjusting of said bearing by the rod 40.

. The number of adjusting rods 40, at each side of the housing,corresponds to the number of plate rolls and their associated transferrolls, and as four plate rolls are shown, the set of rods at each sideof the housing would be four in number.

Each side of the housing 13, below the shaft .14, as well as below thebevelled pinions 50, is provided with a laterally extending bearing 55,in which is mounted a shaft 56, provided at its outer end andexteriorly' of the bearing 55 with a bevelled gear 57, with which isformed integral a hand wheel 58. The gear 57 meshes with the pinions 50carried by the rods of theset, at the lower ends thereof and by thisarrangement when the gear 57 is operated from the hand wheel 58, therods 50 are actuated for the purpose of simultaneously throwing out theblanket rolls relative to'the transfer rolls, and the transfer rollsreleative to the impression cylinder 11.

The adjusting mechanism provides means whereby a plate roll with itsassociated transfer roll can be thrown out independently with respect tothe other plate rolls and their associated transfer rolls. Thisprovision is had, due to the fact that the pinions 50 can be shifted outof mesh with the gear 57, and if certain of the pinions 50 are shiftedclear of the gear 57, the latter will only operate those rods 40, havingtheir pinions 50 in mesh with the gear 57.

The roll of web, which is indicated at 59,

is carried by a spindle 60 removably SUP, ported in a standard 61, andinwardly with respect to the standard 61 a support 62 is arranged whichcarries the combined brushing and Web shifting device, and the latterincludes a brush roll support formed by lateral arms 63, which aredisposed at an inclination and project from the support 62, at the topthereof. The brush roll shaft is indicated at 64 and is operativelydriven in any suitable manner from the shaft 14 or the driving means forthe shaft 14. The brush roll is indicated at65, and arranged inproximity thereto and journalled in the top of the support 62 is anidler roll 66, between which and the brush roll 65 the web 67 travels.Adjustably mounted in the top of the support 62, centrally thcrc of, isa web shifting roll 68, against the lower face of which travels the web67, and journalledin the top of the support 62 is an idler roll 69 uponwhich the web 67 travels. The adjusting means for the roll 68 isindicated at 7 0 and comprises a pair of bearing blocks slidably mountedin the sides of the support 62 and which are connected to adjustingscrews, and by this arrangement the roll 68 can be shifted to extend ata rearward or forward inclination transversely of the support for thepurpose of shifting thenveb 67 if the Web is traveling at an inclinationthrough and with respect to the top of the support 62.

Arranged between the support 62 and the impression cylinder 11, as wellas in close proximity to said impression cylinder 11, is a. Web guide,which is employed for directing the web upon the impression cylinder atthe proper point so that the web will not contactwith a transfer rollbefore it is directed onto the impression cylinder to pre: vent anypossibility of the web being blurred or damaged from the'color on theimpression cylinder so as to insure satisfactory printing. The guideconsists of a vertical adjustable telescopic standard formed of anadjustable upper section 71 and a fixed lower section 72. The upper endof the section 71 with a chamber 74 in which is arranged a worm 75,carried by a shaft 76, provided with a hand wheel 77. The enlarged upperend of the section 71 is formed with a pair of horizontal openings 78,which communicate with the chamber 74, and, each of which has arrangedtherein a bearing 7 9 for the shaft 76.

The enlarged upper end 73 of the section 71, above the chamber 74, isformed with a segment-shaped slot 80, through which extends asemi-circular rack bar 81, meshing with the worm7 5, and by thisarrangement when the shaft 76 is actuated, the engagementof the worm 75with the teeth of the bar 81 will shift the latter for the purpose ofadjustably positioning the web guiding member atthe desired inclination.

The guiding member consists of a rectangular plate 82, formed with apair of aligning oppositely extending slots 83, 84, through which dependa pair of shifting members 85, 86, each having its lower portion formedwith an opening having a threaded wall The threads within the shiftingmember 85 are oppositely disposed with respect to the threads in theshifting member 86. Can ried by the member 85, at the upper end thereof,is a retaining bar 87, which is disposed upon the upper face .of theplate 84 and extends lengthwise with respect thereto, and secured to theupper end of the member 86 is a retaining bar 88, arranged over'theplate 84 and extending lengthwise with respect thereto.

Formed integral with the lower face of the plate 82, centrally thereof,is a hanger 89, provided with a passage 90 and an open ing 91, whichcommunicates with the passage 90.

llxtendjng through the passage 90 is a toothed operating shaft 92 forthe members 85 and 86, and said shaft 92, centrally thereof, is providedwith a peripheral groove 93, into which extends aretaining pin 9%mounted in the opening 91, and by this arrangement the lengthwiseshifting of the shaft 92 relative to the hanger 89 is prevented. Theshaft 92 is formed with threaded portions 95, 96, and with the threadsof the portion 95 oppositely disposed with respect to the threads of theportion 96, and'the threaded portions 95 and 96 engage with the threadsof the members 85 and 86, so that when the shaft 92 is revolved in aclockwise direction the members 85 and 86 will be shifted towards eachother, and when revolved in an anti-clockwise direction the members 85and 86 will be moved away from each other, 'whereby the retaining barscan be set at the desired position, and such position would be that thedistance between the bars would equal the width of the web 67, so thatthe travel of the web 67 over the plate 82 will be such that its sideedges will be engaged by the bars 87, 88, whereby the web will be guidedproperly to be positioned upon the impression cylinder. p

The shaft 92 projects outwardly from each side'of the support 62 and haseach end provided with a hand wheel 97 to provide for the convenientoperation of the shaft 92. a

The lower end of the plate 82 is provided with an idler roll 98 againstthe lower. face of which travels the web 67, and supported from theplate 82, at the forward end thereof, is a pair of web tensioning rolls99, 100.

The web 67 after being printed can be arranged in a roll-like form or ifdesired can be cut and the severed lengths of the web piled in a knownmanner by a conventional form of jogger device, as indicated at 101.\Vhen the web is cut, the cutting mechanism is employedand consists of asupport 102, )rovided with an idler roll 103, against the lower face ofwhich the web 67 travels and said support 102 isfurthermore provided-with tensioning rolls 104, 105, for the web 67. Carried by the support102 is a cutting device comprising a roll 106 and a roll 107 having agroove 108. The roll 106 is provided with a knife 109, which severs theweb and operates in the groove 108. The rolls 106, 107, are driven byany suitable means, and the speed thereof can be regulated so that theweb can be severed 1n the desired-lengths, or the rolls 106 and 107 maybe of the same diameter as the blanket roll, operate at the same speed,whereby the web will be severed between each design printed thereon, orif theblanket roll is of less diameter than the rolls 106, 107, theselatter may be provided with spaced knives and grooves so that the webwill be cut at the desired points.

The arrangement shown will permit of the web being printed with ditl'eent de- 'signs, that is't'o say one-half of the web has one designprinted thereon and. the other half the other design, and when thismethod is carried out, each plate roll would be provided with a pair ofdesigns, or alternate plate rolls be provided with designs.

The guide member can be adjusted at the desired inclination so that theweb will be fed upon the impression cylinder at the desired point, andby this arrangement, as the web has been shifted from any anguiarposition, while travelling, by the roll 68 prior to its reaching theguide, this will always insure satisfactory printing without damage toany portion of the web.

- -The construction of press as referred to provides for printing orlithograpbing successively the color portions of a design to completethe latter on a continuously travelling web, or for printing orlithographing a plurality of continuous designs in color on acontinuously travelling web, or for print ing or lithographing differentdesigns in color on a continuously travelling web, and which isaccomplished by the manner in which the plate rolls and their associatedtransfer rolls are arranged with respect to the impression cylinder, asthe plate roll 1 will receive one color, plate roll 2 a different color,plate roll 3 still a ditferent color, and plate roll 4 a remainingcolor, so that the colors of the design will be successively appliedupon the passage of the web but once through the ress, and it' isobvious that this manner of printing or lithographing in color willvastly expedite color work, as well as materially reduce the costthereof, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is asillustrated and described, yet it is to be understood that changes inthe details of construction can be had which will fall within the scopeof the invention as claimed.

What I claim is I 1. A multi-color printing press comprising animpression cylinder, a plurality of synchronously operated transferrolls opposing said cylinder for successively printing in connectionwith said cylinder,-upon 'a web travelling in one direction, differentlycolored portions of a design to complete the latter on the web on onepass thereof between said rolls and cylinder, a plurality of plate rollsoperated from and synchronously with said transfer rolls and eachassociated with a transfer roll and each provided with means forapplying on its associated transfer roll a differently colored portionof the design to be printed on the web, an angularly adjustable webdirecting mechanism positioned in advance of and in proximity to saidimpression cylinder, and an adjustable combined web brushing andshifting mechanism positioned in advance of and spaced from saiddirecting mechanism.

2. In a multi-color printing press a hearing for each end of the shaftof a plate roll, a bearing for each end of the shaft of a transfer roll,a revolvable adjusting rod ex tending through and common to the bearingsat one end of said shafts, each rod and the bearings through which itextends and to which it is common having associated means for shiftingthe transfer roll away from an impression cylinder and the plate rollaway from the transfer roll when said rod is revolved in one direction.

3. In a multi-color printing press, a hearing for each end of the shaftof a plate roll, a bearing for each end of the shaft of a transfer roll,a revolvable adjusting rod extending through and common to the bearingsat one end of said shafts, each rod and the bearings through which itextends and to which it is common having associated mean-s for shiftingthe transfer roll away from an impression cylinder and the plate rollaway from the transfer roll when said rod is revolved in one direction,the said associated means between the rod and the bearing for the shaftof the blanket roll shifting the plate roll a greater distance from thetransfer roll than the transfer roll is shifted from the impressioncylinder.

4. In a multi-color printing press, a bearing for each end of the shaftof a plate roll, a bearing for each end of the shaft of a transfer roll,a revolvable adjusting rod. common to the bearings at one end of saidshafts, each rod and the hearings to which it s omm n ha ng as ociatemean for shifting the transfer roll away from an impression cylinder andthe plate roll away from the transfer roll when said rod is revolved inone direction, and means engaging with each of the bearings to providefor the n'iicrometer adjustment thereof.

5. In a multi-color printing press, a bearing for each end of the shaftof a plate roll, a bearing for each end of the shaft of a transfer roll,a rcvolvable adjusting rod extending through and common to the bearingsat one end of said shafts, each rod and the bearings through which itextends and to which it is common having associated means for shiftingthe transfer roll away from an impression cylinder and the plate rollaway from the transfer roll when said rod is revolved in one direction,and'means whereby the bearings of the shaft, of the plate roll can beadjusted independently of the bearings for the shaft of the transferroll.

6. In a multi-color printing press a plurality of plate rolls, atransfer roll associated with each of the plate rolls, a bearing foreachend of the shaft of each of said plate rolls, a bearing for each.end of the shaft of each of said transfer rolls, a revolvable adjustingrod extending through and common to the bearings at one end of theshafts of a plate roll and its associated transfcr'roll, each rod andthe bearings through which it extends and to which it is commonhaving'associated means for shifting the transfer roll away from animpression cylinder and the plate roll away from the transfer roll, andmeans for simultaneously shifting, the said plate and transfer rolls andfor selectively shifting a plate roll and its associated transfer roll.7 i

7. In a multi-color printing press a plurality of plate rolls, atransfer roll associated with each of the plate rolls, a

bearing foreach end of the shaft of each of said plate rolls, a bearingfor each end of the shaft of each of said transfer rolls, a revolvableadjusting rod extending through and common to the bearings at one end ofthe shafts of a plate roll and its associated transfer roll, each rodand the bearings through which it extends and to which it is commonhaving associated means for shifting the transfer roll away from animpression cylinder and the plate roll away from'the transfer roll,means for simultaneously shifting the said plate and transfer rolls andfor selectively shifting a plate roll and its associated transfer roll,

the associated means between said rods and the beari s of the platerolls providing for the shi ting of the plate rolls' a greater distancefrom the transfer rolls than the III distance the transfer rolls areshifted from the impression cylinder,

8. In a multi-color printing press the an adjustable combined webbrushing and combination with means for printing a shifting mechanismpositioned in advance design of different colors on a traveling of,spaced from and of greater height than 10 web and including animpression cylinder, said web directing mechanism.

5 of an angularly adjustable web directing In testimony whereof, I afiixmy signamechanism positioned in advance of and in ture hereto. proximityto said impression cylinder, and ROBERT JARVIS SMOTHERS.

